Automatic boiler-feed return apparatus



Ma h.l2,1929. J. RJSWANSON 1,704,926

AUTOMATIC BOILER FEED RETURN APPARATUS Filed May 6. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l l INVENTOR.

ma/WW,

V MATT RNEY. v

March 12, 1929. I Y. J, R, SWANSION 1,704,926

AUTOMATIC BOILER FEED RETURN APPARATUS Filed May e. 1926 -2 Sheets-Shet 2 K IEA I INVENTOR.I 916%.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 12, 1929.

Preror icE.

JOHN SWANSONJOF ROCK ISLAIJD. ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC BOILER-FEED RETURN APPARATUS.

Application filed May 6,

My invention has reference to an'automatic feed return apparatus for'boilers, of that type which is set forth in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,539,883, issued to myself June 2nd, 1925, and for additional improvements in which I madcapplication for Letters Patent of the United States under date of May 12, 1924, Serial No. 712,7 l. One of the chief .uses thereof is in a plant or building in which there isa system of steam heating radiation, for carrying the products of condensation back to the boiler, but it may be used in other places, such as .laundries and the like. By its-use the water is maintained at a uniform height in the boiler containing the main supply. Said former invention was dependent for its operation upon a pair of tanks, one of which would be filling with water while the other was being. emptiedf One of the purposes of the present invention is to perform the same work by the use of a single tank, thus greatly simplifying the device and the operation thereof. The use of objectionable and faulty packing boxes is also done away with.

In :said former'patentthere is set forth a novel steam control mechanism' for admitting successive charges of steam to the tanks for use in expelling the water therefrom, andone of the obJects of the present nvention is to simplify said control mechanism Y and increase the elliciency thereof, 1n its ap plication to the single tank system 111811,

' tioned.

WVhile the present invent-ion is based upon a; onetank system, the capacity can be doubled, if desired, by using two of said tanks coupled up with oneof the water con" trol valve systems set forth in said appli-'' cation of May 12, 1924. .Said valve systenr included a float and lever control of the valves, but in the'prese nt apparatus this would not berequired with the use of the singletank.

In the'use of the singl'e tank quantities of. water are at times contained therein,

alternating with volumes of steam under relatively high pressure, and the arrangement and operation of the machine is such that the steam force can at no time interfere with the action of the water, in entering the tank,"norfollow the sameout of the tank, when the water is expelled therefrom.

It has been found to be impractical to use I 1926. Serial No. 107,107.

hollow floats in devices of the class named where the e is a great amount of steam pressure, as such floats contain joints and seams 'which' require soldering, and which solder becomes ineffective under relatively high ten'iperatures, permitting the water to enter the floats, and destroying the usefulness thereof. In the present invention other types of floats are substituted therefor, with a satisfactory operation under all heat conditions. 7 I

The above named and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the followingspeci iication, reference being had to the ,acconn pan-ying drawings, in which r Fig. 1 shows the invention in front elevation. M

Fig. 2 is a detail of the rock-shaft 34, with parts in section.

Fig. 3 a detail of the longitudinal section. V Fig. 4; is a vertical-medial section ofthe inventionk r Fig. 5'isan enlarged viewofthe steam relief cook 23, in

control cylinder, in longitudinal section.

The invention comprises a tank: 1, supsome part of a plant containing a boiler and steamsystem. The pipe lis provided with a check-valve, as at 5, which permits themovement of water through said pipe in v a direction away from the tank but prevents its return thereto.

Supportedabove the tank 1 isla domefi,

having alateral extension 7, entering-which isa: pipe 8, the other-.end of whichis connected with a receiving-tank or system of radiation, the water-1n which will :lind its,

way through said pipe into the tank 1, being pressure, or both. The pipe 8 isprovided wardly through said pipe. At the upper end of the 10, upon which supported a cylinder-'11, connected at a central point: of which is a pipe 12, leading from a point above the water line of a: boiler. In the opposite ends; of the impelled by gravity or a limited amount of dome -6 a plate cylinder 11 isla pair of hollow pistons 13 and 14-,xunited' by a rod :15, and adaptedfor operation alternately towardnpposite ends pistons are of reduced diameters, and each thereof is provided with a small perforation 16, while in the ends'of said pistons are sev.

oral openings 17 of greater size than the perforations 16. Between the pistons 13 and 14 is a slide-valve 18, having a recess 19 in its lower side, said valve being adapted for the alternate opening and closing of a pas- 20 connecting the cylinder 11and dome 6. i The plate 10 is also provided with a pas- 21. extending partly through the same and then out at one side, pern'iitting the escape of exhale-rt steam contained in the tank when the slide-valve is inthe position shown in Fig. 4.

Projecting outwardly from one side of the cylinder 11, near-the ends thereof, is a pair of relief cocks 22 and 23, (Fig. 1) in each of which is a passage 25, divided by a partition 26, in which is a circular opening normally closed by'the end of a valve 27 in a tubular extension 28 of the cock. Each valve is con nected by a linlrZQ with'the short arm of'a bell-c 'a'nk lever 30, pivoted in the end of the 'extcnsion'28. Pivot-ed at its upper end to the side of the cylinder 11 is a lever 31, posi 'tioned midway the levers 30, and provided shaft 34 is rocked to cause a movement of the lever 31 to actuate one or other of the levers 30, to open the relief cock valve with which said leveris connected. NVhen the pistons 13 and14 are in the positions shown .in Figures 4 and 5aivolume of steam coming in through the pipe 12 finds its Way slowly i 7 through the perforation 16 in the piston 14,

'until the pressure thereof tends to force the piston inwardly in the cylinder; llhis. is

prevented, however, by an equal force in the opposite end of the cylinder. Upon the'cock 22 being opened thislatterforce is relieved r and a quick actionof the pistons follows.

This movement is accelerated by the passages rapid movement of the steaminto the end of the cylinder 11. At the end of a desired period the cock 23 is again opened and the pistons return to the positions shown in said figures.

"lhe lever 31 is actuated by the following moans;0n the inner end of the shaft 34 is an enlargement 37 to which is attached one end of an arm 38, the other end of which is secured to theupper end ofa'tubular, rod 39, the lower end of which is slidabie on a guiderod 40. Supported on the upper end of the rod 39 is a Heat 41, formed of relatively light metal, such as aluminum, which is held in position bya nut 42 on a threaded portion of the rod. Fixed to the lower end of the rod 39 is a bucket 43.

When the slide-valve 13 is in the position men tiof the pistons to-open the passage 20 to the steam in the cylinder 11, and at the same time close the exhaust passage 21. The pressure of the steam, together with the gravity ofthe water carries the water downwardly in the tank 1, and out through the pipe 4 to the boiler. So long as the bucket 43 is covered: by the main body of water in the tank such bucket and its contents will be buoyed up thereby, but upon the water line in the tank falling below the bucket the weight of such bucket and thewater therein will pull the rod downwardly,rocking'tlie shaft 34in a direction to cause the opening of the cock E23. ldeanwhile steam through the pipe 12 has been entering the piston 13 through the perforation 16 therein, and upon the cock I 23 being opened the pistons shift instantly toward the opposite end of the cylinder to that in which they. have been positioned.

This at once cuts off all communication be-.

tween the cylinder and tank, and prevents the steam from following the waterinto the pipe 4. It also instantly opens theexhaust, so that there canybe no interference of the pressure of the steam in the tank with the water coming in through the pipe 8.

To ,prevent 'theweight of the float 41 from causing the rod 39 to move d'own wardly prematurely the lever 31 isprovided with an arm 44, at theend of whiclrisa.

weight 45, said} arm and weight counterbalancing the weight-,5 of the-float. When the ,water first enters the tank and rises as high as the bucket .43 the weight 45 will serve to bring the ball 41 and rod 39 into the posit1on shown in Fig. 4, with the" lever 31 in a in the end of the piston 14, which permit a,

weight 45 assists in rocking the shaft 34 in. the operation of opening the cock 22. When.

the water is forced from the tankl the ball .41 returns to the position shown in Fig. 4

as soon as the water falls below the same,

and. the lever 31 again held in a neutral.

position. As the water line reaches the lower part of thetank the bucket 43 is untioned. The greater part of the time, when i the tank is eitherfilling withwater or with holds the valves 27 from being opened byv Cir 1,704,926 V i v i 3' steam, the lever 31 is in a neutral position, the shifting of the pistons in one direction or the other being alternated by intervals of rest, which are terminated by the action of the water itself, either in filling or emptying the tank.

The levers 30 are united by a tension spring46, which acts in both directions, and

the force of the steam in the relief cocks when the lever 31 is in a neutral position.

The end of the enlargement 37 is rounded, and machined to fit snugly into a similarly shaped recess in the inner end of the bear ing 33, a tight bearing being thereby secured, which will prevent the passage of water or steam.

The invention can be employed in any system wherein there is a back pressure or gravity return of the water, and no trap or back return valves are required to be used therewith, aside from the check-valves 5 and 9.

'What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is;

1. A device of the class describecheomprising a tank having a water intake and a water outlet, a steam control mechanism connected with said tank, relief cocks and valves therefor for said steam control mechanism, bell-crank levers connected with said valves and provided with yieldable connecting means, a shift lever adapted for alternate operation of said levers, a water controlled mechanism in said tank, an arm rockingly mounted in said tank and operatively' connected with said last-named mechanism,

and mechanism connecting said arm with said. shift-lever, to impart the movement of said arm thereto.

r 2. A device of the class described, comprising a tank having a water intake and a ater outlet, a vertically movable rod in 7 i said tank provided with a float member at its upper end and a weight at its lower end,

a cylindermounted on said tank having a central steam intake and a passage into said tank, steam control devices in said cylinder for admitting successive charges of steam into said'tank, relief valves connected with said cylinder and spring-actuated levers therefor, a lever adapted for. alternate engagement with said first-named levers, means for imparting the movement of said rod to said last-named lever, and a weight connected with said last-named lever counterbalancing the weight of said float.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN RswANsoN 

